Planing-machine.



C. G. OSTEMAN.

PLANING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23. 1916.

Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

170116771307 fizz/7 5 06 raaosea.

CARL G. OSTEMAN, OF SOUTH EDS-TON, ItiZiSSAiCH'UEiETTS, ASSIGNUR T0 S. A. 'WOODS MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

PLANING-MAGHINE.

Application filed June 23, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL G. OSTEMAN, a'citizen of the United States, and resident of South Boston, county of Sufiolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Planing-Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My present invention is an improvement in planing machines and its object is to improve and perfect such machines. More particularly the invention relates to means, preferably automatic,to control the relative operative position of a plurality ofcutter heads and the stock being operated uponin the machine, whereby both sides of the stock will be acted on or planed to a predetermined size, when the stock is full thickness, but when the stock is scant, only one ofthe surfaces will be actedupon and when the stock is equal to or below this predetermined thickness it will pass through without being acted on by either cutter head. Heretofore planing machines havebeen ar ranged for one cutter head to remove the surplus stock on one siderwhile the other is set to take off a fixed amount on the other side and therefore when the stock is scant it is not held firmly during feeding by the second cutter resulting in inferior and unsatisfactory Work.

The object of my invention is to obviate these diiliculties and'to automatically vary the cut of the second cutter and at all times to hold the stock firmly while being operated upon by this cutter. Thus as long as the first cutter head is doing work and the stock is thickenough for the second cutter to have its full cut, both plane the stock to its finished thickness. But when the stock istoo thin for both to out, it held free from the first head and is then forced up immediately before the secondhead and held free of it also. When thethickness is only sufficient to be trimmed by one cutter head, then itis held down free of the first cutter head, while thesecond cuts it to the required finished extent, and while being thus trimmed the stock is held firmly in place against the top guide or pressure bar. Furthermore, my invention contemplates the provision of automatic means, preferably actuated by the varyingthicknesses of the'stock itself to in- Specification of Letters Patent.

lPatented Sept. 18, rear...

Serial No. 105,499.

sure the bottom cutter planing 0E the bottom surface where the thickness permits, and where the stock is too thin for both top and bottom cutters to plane their respective surfaces, then to so control the action of both cutters and stock as to eliminate the planing action of both. I accomplish this object, in the particular instance above mentioned, by means of a tilting platen so constructed and arranged in combination with the top and bottom cutters and the rest of the machine as to provide that both cutters will engage the stock on their respective sides when the stock is of suitable thickness, while the platen will be oscillated when relatively thin portions of the board or thin boards are presented, permitting a less cut forthe bottom head, and guiding its lower surface momentarily away from, or even clear of, the action of the lower cutter, if stock is less than finished thickness,

until a surplus thickness in the stock is a ain 42 presented for planing.

Further ob]ects of the invention are to provide a simple construction, capable of a the invention, 1 have shown a fragmentary portion only of a planing machine, eliminating the bearings, operating parts, and the like, for clarity of description.

As illustrated, a top cutterhead 1 and lower cutterhead 2, such as are ordinarily employed in planing machines to act on the top and bottom surfaces respectively of a board or other stock to be planed, are shown in cross section. Knives or cutters 3 held. in respective positions by keys i and bolts 5 are shown ofusual form. Portions of the frame of the planin machine are indicated at 6 and 7 at the front of the planing "cutters and at 8 and 9 at the rear, stock Ous adjustments of cutters, guides, etc, for

thicknessof stock to be planed, and the like,

45 sliding guides on said portion 7.

may be of any usual and well-known construction and are not herein shown 1n det'all. Attire front of the machine the frame 6 is formed with an inclined portion 11, on a which a table 12 having similarly lnclined bearings 13 and 14 is mounted, said table carrying an oscillating platen 15 which acts as a lower guide and support for the stock as the same is fed into the cutters 1 and 2.

in The table 12 has projecting flanges 16 and 17 at either end, forming corresponding recesses or grooves 18 and 19 and carries a bearing member 20 arranged in a position substantially under the top cutter 1, which constitutes a rocking bearing for the platen 15, member fitting into a squared recess 21. in said platen. The top surface of the bearing 20 is rounded, as shown at 22, in order to allow for the free oscillation of the 20 platen 15 thereon. At the inner end 23 of the oscillating platen is a depending flange 2% adapted to engage and strike against the overhanging end ii of the table 12, while at the other end of said platen is a lug 25 25 secured to the platen by a bolt 26 in order to facilitate assembling, with a rib 27 arranged to fit within the recess 18 and engage the flange 16 when said platen is rocked. The length of the lug 25 and rib 0 27 is preferably sufiicient to permit the de sired scope of oscillation in the platen 15 on its bearing 20, together with the space provided in the formation of the lug 2 1-, for such oscillation.

Rear guides 28 and 29 adjustablysecured by bolts 30 and 31 to frame portions 8 and 9 respectively, are shown to receive the stock from the first cutter 1 and guide 1t 111 its feeding or planmg or both by the second cutter 2. At the other end secured to the 50.1 hetension of said spring, thus normally fox-pin g the guide32 downwardly, sliding on said member 7, as shown at 38 and 39, and putting the stock 10 under immediate ten- '-sion as, the same is fed into the machine be- 'tn 'een the chip breaker 32 and tilting platen A curved metal plate 40 is preferably.

"secured to the front of the guide 32 by. a

bolt 41, as shown.

In the operation of the apparatus, the

. mechanism is first adjustedto receive and plane surplus stock of desired size and to a predetermined thickness. The cutters may be adjusted and the table 12 moved on the inclined support 6 to similarlyadjust the v top surface of the oscillating platen 15.

When aboard 10 is fed into the mechanism it first bears between the plate 40 and the front portion of. the platen 15, lifting the chip breaker against thetension of its spring 33. This action holds the forward portion of the platen 15 firmly seated upon the top of the flange 16. The continued feedin of the board 10 thensubjects its top surface to the planing action of the cutters 3 on the cutterhead l and further feeding action of the board, if'of suitable thickness to be planed by'both top and hottom'cutters, rocks the inward portion 23 of the oscillating platen 15 downwardly as the board is fed under the guide 28 and subjects the bottom surface to the cu tterhead 2. Thus both top and bottom": of the stock are planed. If, liowever, the board has thinner places, or thinner boards are fed in, thechip breaker 32 may hold the stock clear of the cutter 1 and the surplus stock be only taken off by the second cutter 2, the platen 15 rocking on the member- 21 and raising the nose 23 to hold the stocklfirmly against the presserbar 28 during thecut-ting action of the second cutter 2.

platen 15 is in effect a secondchip breaker acting in cooperation withthe cutter 2, but

preferably being actuated by the spring 35. In fact it is within the scope of -my invention to employ any automatic means, whether separately. actuated or cooperating so long as the varyingthicknesses of stock cutter actsupon the stock. I a

."It will be appreciated that .lmy invention is not limited to details 0f construction herein illustrated, nor to top and-bottom' planing cutters, but mayhave other fields of usefulness, and Iconsider .it be broadly novel to provide automatic1mechanism ,which will enable one cutter, at all times to Thus the V are taken care of and held rfirmly while each act on a predetermined portion of stock, irrespective of the tlllCkilGSS of said stock and irrespective of whether or not one or more "cutters are acting-thereon, which other cutters will perform their cutting J action whenever required to bringthe stock down toa predetermined thickness 7 r V g 7 My invention is further described anddefinedin the form ofclaims as follows 1. In apparatus f the laminar-image pair of planing cuttersadapted' tow-ork on opposite sides of stock, means to feedjsaid stock by said cutters and automatic "means f to guide said stock into cutting action-with one cutter; and. simultaneously control the cutting action of the other cutter according to the 7 thickness of the stock operated on,

said means consisting in the yieldi-ngly :actuated chip breaker, arocking guide upon" which saidchipbreaker presses, with/the inner end of said guide acting as anfindependent chip breaker in combination with the second cutter.

2. In apparatus of the kind described, a pair of planing cutters adapted to work on opposite sides of stock, means to feed said stock by said cutters, a chip breaker in advance of the first cutter automatic means to guide said stock into cutting action with the second cutter and hold the stock firmly during the cutting action of the second cutter, said automatic means consisting in a tilting platen to guide the stock from one cutter to the other said platen being acted upon by the chip breaker and tilted to an extent al lowed by the thickness of the stock. H

3. In apparatusof the kind described, top and bottom planing cutters adapted to plane the top and bottomsurfaces of stock fed by them, a tilting guide arranged with its pivot substantially under the top cutter and inadvance of the bottomcutter, stops to limit the tilting movement of said guide, and yielding means adapted to contact with the top surface of stock fed through the apparatus to oscillate said tilting guide within the limits afiorded by said stops, a varying extent corresponding to the varying thickness of said stock, and thereby to control the planing action of the cutters, and a fixed guide opposite the bottom cutter against which the tilting guide presses the stock.

4. In apparatus of the kind described, top and bottom planing cutters adapted to plane the top and bottom surfaces of stock fed past them, a fixed guide opposite the bottom cutter, a tilting gulde opposite to and cooperating with the top cutter and ada ated to be actuated 011 a pivot directly unt er the axis of the top cutter, a portion of said tilting guide extending over the fixed guide opposite the bottom cutter, a yieldingly actuated chip breaker arranged to cooperate with said tilting guide and actuating said guide to constitute a second chip breaker on the fixed guide.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CARLG. OSTEMAN.

Witnesses:

JAMns R. HODDER, HAROLD J. CLARK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

